Human Rights Violator: Meysam Nili

As the Editor-in-Chief of Raja News, Meysam Nili is responsible for deliberately provoking hatred and incitement to hatred against members of the Bahá’í faith by using false accusations, inflammatory terminology, and repugnant imagery in content published in Raja News.

Raja News is close to hardliners in Iran and a strong supporter of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The impartiality and independence of this news agency is in serious doubt.

In its October 2011 report, the Bahá’í International Community clearly shows that a central element of the escalating campaign of persecution of Bahá’ís in recent years has been the use of mass media and other means to systematically demonize and vilify them.

Bahá’ís have been completely denied access to any form of media inside Iran that would allow them to explain or rebut the baseless accusations against them. Indeed, Iranian media is forbidden from publishing or airing anything in support of Bahá’ís.

It is believed that propaganda in the media could lead to increased discrimination against the Bahá’í community, promoting a social context of violence and hatred against them solely based on their religious beliefs.

Supporting documents:

References to the role of Raja News and the incitement of hatred against the Bahá’ís:

Article dated 24 Farvardin 1391 (12 April 2012) alleging Raha Etemadi was hired by London-based Manoto TV based on her adherence to the Bahá’í faith, opposition to the Islamic Republic and her willingness to appear in the nude: http://rajanews.com/detail.asp?id=122331